Would You Visit the Disney Parks if Vaccine Passports Were Required?

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Guests wearing masks at Disney Parks

Credit: Disney Parks Blog

As Walt Disney World Resort is gearing up in celebration of its 50th anniversary on October 1, some Guests are eager to start planning their upcoming trips and return to the parks. At the same time, some have decided to stay behind and wait until 2022. We asked our Inside the Magic viewers how they felt about planning a trip, and the response was quite interesting.

signage to wear a proper mask at wdw
Credit: ITM

Vaccine Passports

If you aren’t already aware, a vaccine passport is a document, either paper or digital, that ensures a person is vaccinated. With COVID-19 still prevalent, these documents may provide confirmation that an individual has been vaccinated, they test negative, and/or has recovered from the virus.

Related: CA (Including Theme Parks) Is Open, But Won’t Require Vaccine Passports

What are the risks while traveling? The vaccines distributed for the last five months have been said to be effective at preventing severe illness, but it has not yet been 100% confirmed whether those vaccinated can still spread the virus.

The U.S. Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still has certain travel guidance in place for those who are vaccinated and those who are not. However, many visitors who have recently been to Walt Disney World Resort (with its four theme parks that have been open since the summer of 2020) and Disneyland Resort (which has partially reopened the park for the A Touch of Disney event — the theme parks officially reopen on April 30) has stated that Disney is implementing the proper guidelines and precautions to keep their visitors safe.

Disney has implemented several health and safety measures at the California and Florida properties, such as mandatory masks, social distancing markers, and ample sanitization stations.

masks
Credit: Disney Parks Blog
masks sign at dca
Credit: Inside the Magic

Virgin Atlantic Airlines

When considering why a vaccine passport could be a good idea for Disney Parks, we can examine how these are being tested in other industries. Airlines like Virgin Atlantic are also trying a new and quicker way for people to ensure travelers have been vaccinated and provide some peace of mind.

Related: California’s Indoor Mask Mandate Is Returning

Using the app, they can provide a digital ID complete with a profile photo, passport information, and their COVID-19 results. Future versions of the app currently being worked on will also incorporate vaccine records.

Yesterday, GlobeTrender.com shared the following:

Also being tested by Virgin Atlantic is an innovative Covid-19 test verification tool using artificial intelligence from US company Trust Assure, in effect on Heathrow-US services (currently standing at five routes).

The Trust Assure platform features a global directory of 15,000 plus verified Covid-19 test sites in over 75 countries. It provides users with access to partners, products, and protocols designed to meet the destination requirements necessary for travel worldwide.

The technology has already proven extremely effective in development and trials by Virgin Atlantic’s joint venture partner, Delta Air Lines. Once confirmed, customers receive a QR code with a green verification, meaning they can proceed quickly through check-in.

It is hoped that secure digital health technology will support this endeavour with a smooth and streamlined experience, enabling customers’ to navigating global travel requirements from the palm of their hands

couple-using-the-disneyland-app-on-smartphone
Credit: Disney

What about the Disney Parks?

Even though we are seeing vaccine passports begin to be developed and implemented with U.S. President Joe Biden’s support, there is no confirmation that we could see these come to the Disney Parks. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been outspoken in his disagreement with a vaccine passport program. And neither Walt Disney World Resort in Florida nor Disneyland Resort in California has indicated that a vaccine passport program will be implemented.

Related: Disney Park to Likely Change Vaccination Requirements as Omicron Spreads

Still, we have shared that a vaccine passport could help Walt Disney World return to more “normal” operations and bring more visitors (particularly international ones) to the parks. And we were curious to know what the Inside the Magic audience of Disney fans think of vaccine passports in general.

We asked our followers on Instagram recently, “Would you travel to Disney World if vaccine passports were implemented?” and we were surprised to see the results!

After being reviewed by over 4,500 people, 75% of Disney World fans indicated that they would still travel to Disney World if vaccine passports were implemented, while 25% said they would not.

poll
Credit: Inside the Magic

Ultimately, we can only wait to hear if the Disney Company agrees or disagrees with implementing this new technology and adding vaccine passports to their list of safety procedures. We hope that Guests don’t have to wait too long to commit to plans and trips to Walt Disney World. To view the current health and safety policies at Disney World, click here.

What do you think about this poll? Do you think Disney World should ask visitors for vaccine passports before entering the park? Let us know in the comments below!

Are you heading to Disney World soon and need help planning? Click here for more information!

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